It’s not too early
to begin preparing a display for International Day celebrated annually on
September 21 (as declared by the United Nations). Both the September and
November 2001 columns in ATFP presented a few ideas to use with your
group in learning about worldwide collecting. This time, another idea that can
be used as a display in the classroom or libraries is the subject.

"Reinventing
the wheel" is not necessary. Often in my world of teaching, I find an idea,
worksheet, activity, etc. that "begs" to be adapted for philately.
Such was the case when I recently purchased a small reproducible guide for
teachers on report writing. The 1996 Evan-Moor publication, titled More Than
a Report - Celebrations, is a compilation of nine holiday writing projects.
As I write this, my class has just completed doing the report on Thanksgiving,
and they very much enjoyed this format.

The reports are in
easy-to-create folder format and are readily displayable. Each report contains a
three-dimensional element which adds visual interest to the presentation. From
the teacher viewpoint, the background information, directions, forms, and
illustrations of a completed report will help to produce great results. Students
receive a step-by-step "how-to" for a completed report with a polished
look. Suitable for grades 3 to 6, the format’s simple structure is suitable
regardless of the skill and ability level of the child. Projects can even be
completed as group work.

Of the nine holidays
in the manual, the activities for International Day can best be adapted for a
philatelic group. Start by having each child select a country for which you have
a sufficient quantity of stamps. Distribute directions and other materials
needed.

The front/title page
consists of a world map. Children are instructed to place a foil star on the map
where their country is located. The inside left side has three components: a
mini-book, facts and figures, and greeting area. The directions call for
research and an 8-page mini-book measuring 4" x 7". To compliment the
philatelic angle, I would change this to a mini-album. Stamps can be used to
illustrate various aspects of the geography and culture of the chosen country,
thus eliminating writing a report. However, titles and subtitles or labeling
would be encouraged under the hinged and mounted stamps.

Beneath the
mini-album would be a card giving the facts and figures about the country using
the information that is found at the beginning section of each Scott Catalog
entry: population, area, capital, currency, etc. Beneath the card, a greeting
such as "hello" would be written in one of the major languages used by
that country.

The folder’s right
side has a place for a three-dimensional flag of the country mounted on a straw
or wooden skewer held in place by modeling clay at the base. Beneath that is a
doll-like figure which is colored to represent the traditional clothing worn in
the country.

Need more details,
write to me at the address. Help your young collectors to learn more about the
world around them.

Welcome to the
microscopic world! Now there are ways to enlarge stamp designs so that entire
classes or large groups can be viewing stamp designs on a computer screen. Many
schools even have adaptations so that what appears on a computer screen can also
be displayed on the classroom television.

Perhaps you have
seen advertisements in the philatelic press touting the virtues of the QX3
Microscope from Digital Blue--a microscope for $100. School budgets do not
usually allow for such expensive tools, but a much cheaper version may be more
suitable for school budgets.

One such microscope
is the Intel Play QX3. In addition to the microscope, you will also need a
computer that is USB enabled, Microsoft Windows 98 or newer, and a few other
features that are standard by today’s technologies. Step by step directions
make the software setup easy.

The QX3 Computer
Microscope has a base stand and a detachable microscope. There are two light
sources--one on the platform and one in the microscope. The base has focus
knobs. A magnification ring and capture button are on the microscope.
Magnification levels correspond to 10x, 60x, and 200x.

There are some
things that you can do with this microscope that you cannot do with an ordinary
microscope. You can view tiny things, such as a stamp design, on your computer.
You can take the microscope off its base and use it as a hand-held device for
magnified viewing. You can even view the images to create your own slide shows.
An activity book contains suggestions for other ideas.

As of this writing,
it is a new tool at my school--one that I have not had an opportunity to use.
However, I can see many uses for it in making philately come alive for our
youth. When you have only one stamp and many kids interested in seeing the
hidden images, small details, or other "fly specks," you can eliminate
many problems by showing the stamp to the whole group and use the image to
supplement or reinforce the lesson.

Prices vary greatly,
so keep your eyes open for sales or order on-line. It is half the price of its
adult counterpart, and from what I can tell, there is little difference. Let me
know if you have had any experiences with using an type of computer microscope
with stamps.

Does your community
sponsor events such as holiday parades? Many smaller towns and cities are
gearing up for their summer picnics, parades, and other local celebrations.
Oftentimes, the event coordinators are desperately looking for participation
from clubs, organizations, and school groups. If you are a teacher/leader of a
stamp collecting group for youth, consider having your members be a part of the
celebration and, at the same time, draw awareness to your group. Who knows?
Someone seeing the event might make a donation to your group. Here’s what you
can do.

Show off the hobby
of stamp collecting by putting stamps on parade. Enlarged stamps can be worn by
youth as chest vests. These vests can be made from kraft paper cut 16" by
36" or from brown paper bags. If kraft paper is being used, fold the paper
in half and cut a hole sized to fit over the head of the youth. It is worn much
like a cape. Or consider it as a sandwich board without the heavier weight.

With a paper bag
vest, cut a hole for the head in the bottom of the bag. Cut armholes in the
sides of the bag. For ease in wearing the vest, cut the back of the bag open
along the seam that typically runs in the middle of the back of the bag.

To decorate your bag
vest or cape, enlarge stamp designs on 12" by 18" white construction
paper. Original designs could be made, particularly ideas to fit the theme of
the event. Those having access to coloring sheets and books with stamp designs
could also use those as patterns for enlarging. Vertical stamp designs work best
for the fronts of vests. (The post office often has a supply of stamp coloring
books that they give away as promotional items. If you need a copy, write to me
and I will send you one.)

Another possibility
is to create "mini-floats." Use a wagon or a box on wheels as the
base. Recreate three dimensional scenes or mount the enlarged stamp designs
previously mentioned above.

Make a banner to
introduce your group. (Join the Stampede! Stamp Savers Swing, etc. followed by
the name of your group.) Need a little music to keep the step lively? Use a boom
box and tape recording of "Mr. Postman." If your group tries this
project, send a photograph and I will try to use it in a future column.

Beginning collectors
needs to have a way to organize their materials and to keep their supplies and
tools together in one handy place.

One solution is to
obtain three-ring binders for use as the album. My choice is the one inch ring
binder with clear front, back, and spine pocket covers. This allows me to
customize the binder’s cover and spine by creating a label with the child’s
name (and other identifying information such as class code, etc.). This label
follows a vertical format and is inserted into the spine of the binder.

It is also fun to
customize a cover for the album. It can be done entirely from computer graphics,
or might be a student designed stamp illustration, or pictures cut from stamp
catalogs, etc. This year’s album cover was actually a combination of computer
technology (title) and a picture post card of the 34-cent "Greetings from
America" Wisconsin stamp.

Well organized
leaders might want to insert another sheet of paper listing the dates and
program meeting ideas into the back clear pocket of the binder.

Each student also
receives tongs, a packet of hinges, and a pencil. This year I am using a small
zippered pencil pouch that has a three-hole punch so that it can be kept inside
the binder. This helps the child to be responsible for their own tools and to
keep them in a place where they can always find and have their own materials.
(An inexpensive alternative might be to use a zip-lock baggie and punch holes to
fit into the binder.)

One manila stock
page is inserted in the back of the binder. It introduces one concept of storage
techniques preferred by collectors. Naturally glassines and envelopes are also
available for their use at the club meetings.

Most of the binder
is filled with copies of various pages that are useful and necessary for their
philatelic pursuits.

For example, each
binder is filled with sheets that explain some of the basics of the hobby such
as soaking and hinging stamps. These pages can be created to meet your specific
lesson or tailored to meet the needs of the group. There are several on-line
sources that provide pages you can download and copy as well.

I also take time to
introduce some of the basic vocabulary such as commemoratives, definitives, and
special issues. Once kids

know the difference
between the various types of stamps, they enjoy searching through the boxes of
stamps looking for examples to fill their pages. I have one page labeled with
each of those three types of US stamps.

If you are working
with foreign stamps, consider creating or finding a simple stamp identifier to
put into the binder. I usually offer one lesson in foreign stamp identification
by giving students a packet of assorted foreign stamps and a labeled page to
hinge their stamps into the correct place.

Most of the space in
the binder is reserved for pages of the student’s own choosing. I have a
variety of pages and projects that I use during the year. Some pages are left
untitled so that the child can put his or her own heading or title. The child
who becomes interested in the stamps of Japan (or whatever country) can make his
or her own title on a quadrille page. There are also on-line sites that will
allow you to download album pages. Scott produces something called the Album
Wizard which allows owners to create and customize their own album pages.

Students might also
select one of the topical pages that have been created, or again, they can
choose a quadrille page and add their own title.

Binders are also
good organizers for the projects, activities, and game sheets that I frequently
use to enhance the learning process. I charge a small fee to cover the costs of
these supplies. You might want to consider approaching a Federation club to
assist you in financing binders and related supplies for kids.

In the
educational field, there is a trend to make learning fun, educational, and more
hands-on. The task is to be realistic or similar to the actual
work/jobs/research etc. as done by others. Through lab experiences and/or group
interaction, projects are set up requiring the use of higher-level thinking
skills and more closely resembling the actual processes (whether real or
fantasy) that others in a similar position may have gone through or experienced
before us. Simulation activities can be used to accomplish this objective.

We can offer the
opportunity for our beginning stamp collectors to participate directly in some
of the same experiences of the more seasoned collectors while providing them
with a new forum for learning about other aspects of philately.

This activity does
require preparation and thoughtful planning by the leader. The abilities of the
group must be taken into consideration. Materials need to be planned for,
provided, and gathered. More than one session may be needed to accomplish both
the lessons leading up to the activity and provide enough time to accomplish the
objective.

In this simulation
activity, the beginning collector takes on the persona of another collector who
specializes in some aspect of philately. (You may wish to have youngsters work
in pairs.) As leader, you can plan the degree of difficulty that will still
provide a challenge to the collector.

Each collector, upon
learning about his or her "new collecting habits" will use a variety
of resources to fill their album pages. Auction catalogs, philatelic newspapers
and journals, as well as mixtures of actual stamps may be used.

The leader will need
to provide mini-albums for the collectors to "mount" their material.
These mini-albums can be made as plain or as fancy as the leader’s time and
creativity allow. A construction paper cover and plain white typing paper is
sufficient. The size may be equivalent to one-half or one-quarter of an 8 1/2 by
11 inch paper. Size would depend upon the resources available to use.

For example, one
student may receive the persona of a collector of Zeppelin covers--perhaps going
to foreign destinations. They must search the auction catalogs looking for items
that fill that collecting specialty. When they find something, they must cut out
and glue it into their album, one item per page. You may also want to require a
small amount of writing such as a title for their album and a short phrase on
each page describing the item such as "Cover to Germany."

In its simplest
form, the collector might be looking for sets and/or series of actual stamps
such as Machins or the US Liberty series, and thus actual stamps could be used.
When actual stamps are used, they should be hinged (not glued) into the
mini-albums. More advanced collectors can be offered such challenges as
collecting the Number 1s of the World, using auction catalog illustrations of
the stamps.

The activity could
be set up as an independent project or learning center in a classroom. It
provides the collector an opportunity to learn a little about other specialties
while offering a challenge and the thrill of the hunt.

Allow enough time
for the collector to share their completed album with the rest of the group and
even more learning about collecting specialties will take place.

I recently found out
about a nifty little machine that I am ordering for use with my adult and youth
stamp clubs. (Of course, it has personal applications as well.) The Xyron can be
used to create stickers. It also laminates and can be used to create magnets—all
in one machine.

The machine utilizes
easy to change, drop in cartridges. It requires no heat or electricity (not even
batteries) so it is safe even for kids to use. The machine comes in various
widths. For example, the 500 Series works with paper up to 5 inches in width,
the 850 Series, with 8 ˝ inch paper, etc. They come as small as 1 ˝ inch
widths suitable for children’s projects to 25 inch sizes used by
professionals.

Replacement
cartridges are available. The adhesive cartridges are acid-free and come in both
permanent and repositionable glues. The laminate cartridges can either laminate
both sides of an item or can laminate one side and put either permanent or
repositionable adhesive on the back of the item. Still another cartridge allows
the crafter to laminate the top side of the item while applying a magnetic
backing.

So just how do I
plan on using it? To begin with, I want to take the colorful pages from the Old
Glory booklet, use the xyron to apply adhesive to the back, and use the booklet
pages as cachets on mailing meeting-announcement envelopes to club members. Any
die-cuts, photos, clip art, etc. can be used to create interesting cachets for
mailings. In fact, the adhesive cartridges can also be used with fabric. I have
some stamp design fabric. The fabric can be carefully trimmed around the
perforations, adhesive applied, and the design can be adhered to a painted can
to make a pencil holder, applied to a scrapbook or binder cover, etc.

I also want to
create philatelic bookmarks. These bookmarks might contain stamps of topical
appeal, stamps from a particular year such as the birth year of the young
collector, or might even carry a message advertising your local stamp club.

Then too, I think it
would be fun to create philatelic magnets as give-away gifts or prizes. Any of
these ideas are easy to carry out with xyron. You are only limited by your
imagination.

Now you might be
wondering about the cost of these machines. The web site (www.xyron.com) carries
a complete listing of machines and accessories with various specials, including
free shipping on some items. There is even a demonstration that explains and
shows how the machine works.

These machines are
also available at craft and fabric stores. Newspaper and advertising fliers for
these types of stores frequently carry coupons offering 40-50% discounts on any
one item. This might be a good time to cash in on one of these offers.

A new stamp
collecting kit offered by the American Philatelic Society is a wonderful tool to
use for introducing the stamp collecting hobby to youth. The spiral-bound,
hardcover book written by Leslie Jonath, is titled Stamp It: The Ultimate
Stamp Collecting Activity Book. The 100 page book has a short, easy-to-read
introduction (12 pages) covering the basics of the hobby. The remainder of the
book is filled with open-ended stamp collecting activities. Interesting facts
are interspersed throughout this book that has color on every page.

The activity section
of the book is divided into five categories: "Tell Your Story with
Stamps," "Our World in Stamps," "A Few of My Favorite
Things!" "The Art of Stamps," and "Crafts to Make and Games
to Play." There is much flexibility in the way this book can be used. The
activities are such that any assortment of stamps can be used as a starter
toward completing the activities.

The book concludes
with a resource section listing philatelic organizations, stamp collecting
publications, sources of supplies, and web sites to explore.

Within the book is a
zippered pouch which stores some of the other essentials for the hobbyist:
hinges, tongs, magnifying glass, perforation gauge, glassine envelopes, as well
as a packet of mint US stamps, foreign stamps, and two first day covers. Two
manila stock cards are even bound into the 7 ˝ x 9 inch book.

The book appeals to
kids in the 8 to 12 year range. It is available postpaid for $16.95 from the APS.
I have also seen it at the Barnes and Noble stories. It may be available
elsewhere. The ISBN number is 0-8118-3331-3.

While at the
National Topical Stamp Show, I became aware of another new book that can be used
to introduce the hobby. Titled U.S. Stamps: Collect All 50 States, it
features the Greetings from America stamps. The book’s cover is actually a
tri-fold which when opened up has plastic pockets into which the Greetings
stamps might be inserted. A small 40-page paperback book serves as a collecting
guide offering a short history of stamps, a diagram identifying the main parts
of a stamp, philatelic terms, how to get started, the different types of stamps,
caring for stamps grading and value of stamps, as well as showing a few rare US
stamps. The second half of the book pictures each of the 50 Greetings stamps
alphabetically by state and includes the nickname, capital, statehood year, and
a brief written description of the stamp’s design.

This full-color book
measures 6 by 9 inches and is stored as a separate entity within the confines of
the tri-fold outer cover. Interestingly, the cover was made in China, the book
printed in Canada, and it was assembled in the United States. Retailing at
$8.99, it was published by Tangerine Press, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc. The
ISBN is 0-439-52072-X. It is my understanding that the book was available
through the Scholastic Book Fairs commonly held as school fund raisers.

Order these books
now and they should arrive in time for the upcoming holiday season. Give the
gift of stamps and encourage your young collector to read about our wonderful
hobby.

As many of you may
suspect by now, I love children’s literature that somehow relates to stamps
and/or the mail. So I was pleasantly surprised when my school librarian
approached me with a new book that is being added to the collection.

Titled The House
in the Mail and written by Rosemary and Tom Wells, the book tells the
interesting story of a family in 1927 that orders a house through the catalog.
The house has all of the modern conveniences: the latest appliances, indoor
plumbing, electricity, and a coal-burning furnace. The book offers an
interesting comparison of the changes in the life-style of two children after
their house arrives by train.

Although the title
and only a few illustrations directly relate to anything philatelic, the book
offers a fascinating look at a era in American history. This picture book has
beautiful illustrations reminiscent of a scrapbook. Appropriate for children
ages six and up, the book retails at $16.99 and was published in 2002 by Viking.

* * *

Club leaders,
teachers, and adults interested in promoting stamp collecting may find a
relatively new Postal Service publication to be useful in piquing the interest
of the young collector. Publication 39, "Greetings from America Coloring
and Activity Book," offers both coloring pages of the Greetings from
America stamps as well as other interesting activities such as word puzzles that
educate the learner about our 50 states.

If the publication
is not available at your local post office, the pages can be downloaded from the
United States Postal Service site and printed with Adobe Reader (available as a
free download). Go to www.usps.com then to Postal Publications Periodicals (PDF
format) for Publication 39.

Other publications
that might be useful include Publication 295, "Hispanic People and Events
on U.S. Postage Stamps"; Publication 354, "African-Americans on
Stamps"; Publication 512, "Women on Stamps"; and Publication 528,
"Veterans and the Military on Stamps."

* * *

The American
Philatelic Society and the United States Postal Service are approaching
completion of the Stamp Camp USA Planning Guide. I have seen a draft copy of the
work that is patterned after the week long Stamp Camps offered by Cheryl Edgcomb
in Pennsylvania. A shortened one-day version has also been offered at STAMPSHOW.
The guide contains instructions that parents, teachers, and community leaders
may use to introduce stamp collection in school classroom situations, with youth
organizations, or as an after-school program. Suggestions for planning such
events, teaching the basics, as well as preparing creative and more traditional
exhibits are included. The program uses Stamp Cash to motivate youth. The
program culminates with an auction or stamp store where the hard-earned stamp
cash is turned into other philatelic items for their beginning collection. An
Open House and awards ceremony can also be part of the event.

If you enjoyed the
"Greetings from America" Stamp series as based on the large-letter
style of linen post cards from the middle of the 20th century, and if you find
armchair traveling to be of interest to you and you would like to rekindle that
same passion in young collectors, direct them to a website that was determined
to be one of the top 100 educational websites, and one of the best geography
sites: www.postcardsfrom.com.

Postcards from
America was created by a husband and wife team. The duo explore the 50 states in
"Harvey the RV." Ken is a photographer and graphic arts designer who
creates the electronic postcard and stamps. Priscilla writes the captions,
messages, and trivia about the states they are touring.

Their first trip
lasted three years and showcased the capitals of each state. These are archived
on the web site. Above each postcard are links to maps, travel tips, and fun
facts. A link titled "Stamps" depicts what philatelists would refer to
as cinderellas. None the less, it is fun to look at.

Sign up to receive
these free postcards and enjoy a brief escape from the daily grind. Parents and
grandparents can use the email postcard as a topic for a teachable moment.

As I am writing this
column, the American Philatelic Society has announced that its web site (www.stamps.org)
has available National Stamp Collection Month activities and lessons to
accompany the "Slither your Way to Fun" theme to accompany the new
Reptiles and Amphibians stamps.

The APS in
partnership with the USPS has put together an interesting array of materials for
teachers and stamp club leaders to use as a tool to integrate a classroom
curriculum study of amphibians and reptiles with out stamp hobby.

The APS developed
the National Stamp Collecting Month Poster and NSCM Album Page. A colored
printer is suggested for printing those pages out. Also on-line are four
individual activities and a game.

The USPS has
distributed a colorful poster and what is referred to as a thematic educational
kit. The back of the poster gives tips for making your own Creeping Things
Album. From the viewpoint of a topical philatelist, the directions on the
how-to of developing a thematic album are well thought out and offer an
excellent beginning for helping teachers and leaders develop and organize
thematics. Although the Reptiles and Amphibians issue serves as the basis for
this particular collection, the same guidelines can be applied to any topical
being developed thematically.

I don’t know
whether the material will be available after the October NSCM celebrations.

I have always liked
the idea of using the USPS new issues as a starting point to curriculum lessons
and to enhance the educational value of stamp collecting. It would be nice if
the APS or others would have the resources to continue to develop selected stamp
themes with similar kits, activities, and games--perhaps several a year--those
which would have the most appeal to young collectors. How do you feel about the
idea? Write to me with your thoughts on that or any other aspect of youth
philately. I’d love to hear from you!